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Spanning the Globe: The Rise of Global Communications Systems and the First Globalisation
Author(s) -
Lampe Markus,
Ploeckl Florian
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
australian economic history review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.493
H-Index - 16
eISSN - 1467-8446
pISSN - 0004-8992
DOI - 10.1111/aehr.12048
Subject(s) - globe , globalization , relevance (law) , telecommunications , international trade , international communication , political science , business , computer science , psychology , law , neuroscience
After postulating the relevance of information for trade costs we outline the rise of international communication networks (mail, telegraph, telephone) during the first globalisation of the long nineteenth century. In this period, global communications systems for the first time in history provided universal access to affordable and reliable means of communication. Using a new set of internationally comparable data on global postal flows, we analyse basic determinants of international information exchange and conclude by outlining a research agenda that links these to international trade patterns and knowledge transfer between countries.